Deborah Gravenstijn

{{Short description|Dutch judoka (born 1974)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2023}} {{Infobox judoka | image = Deborah Gravenstijn (2008-08-25).jpg | image_size =  | alt = | caption =  | country = Netherlands | weight_class = {{nbnd}}52 kg, {{nbnd}}57 kg | rank =  | rank_ref = | dan =   | worlds_rank = 2 | worlds_year = 2001 | worlds_weight = Women's 57 kg | regionals_type = EU | regionals_rank = 2 | regionals_year = 2001 | regionals_weight = Women's 57 kg | nationals = | olympics_rank = 2 | olympics_year = 2008 | olympics_weight = Women's 57 kg  | show-medals = | medaltemplates = {{Medal|Sport| Women's judo }} {{Medal|Country| the {{NED}} }} {{Medal|Competition| Olympic Games }} {{Medal|S| 2008 Beijing | {{nbnd}}57 kg }} {{Medal|B| 2004 Athens | {{nbnd}}57 kg }} {{Medal|Competition| World Championships }} {{Medal|S| 2001 Munich | {{nbnd}}57 kg }} {{Medal|B| 2003 Osaka | {{nbnd}}57 kg }} {{Medal|Competition| European Championships }} {{Medal|S| 2001 Paris | {{nbnd}}57 kg }} {{Medal|B| 1998 Oviedo | {{nbnd}}57 kg }} {{Medal|B| 1999 Bratislava | {{nbnd}}52 kg }} {{Medal|B| 2000 Wrocław | {{nbnd}}52 kg }} {{Medal|B| 2002 Maribor | {{nbnd}}57 kg }} {{Medal|Competition| World Juniors Championships }} {{Medal|S| 1992 Buenos Aires | {{nbnd}}61 kg }} {{Medal|Competition| European Junior Championships }} {{Medal|G| 1992 Jerusalem | {{nbnd}}61 kg }} | updated = 30 May 2023 }}

'''Dibora Monick Olga "Deborah" Gravenstijn''' (born 20 August 1974 in Tholen, Zeeland) is a Dutch judoka and Captain in the Royal Netherlands Air Force. She won a bronze medal in the class Women's 57 kg at the 2004 Summer Olympics<ref>{{cite Sports-Reference |title=Deborah Gravenstijn |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/gr/deborah-gravenstijn-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161203063811/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/gr/deborah-gravenstijn-1.html |archive-date=3 December 2016}}</ref> and a silver medal four years later at the same event at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.<ref name="og08">{{cite web |url=http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/ENG/BIO/Athlete/9/217899.shtml |title=Athlete biography: Deborah Gravenstijn |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080814175242/http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/ENG/BIO/Athlete/9/217899.shtml |archive-date=14 August 2008 |website=beijing2008.cn |access-date=12 August 2008}}</ref>

== Biography ==

===Early years=== Gravenstijn started her judo career when she was five years old.<ref name="bio">{{cite web |url=http://www.deborahgravenstijn.nl/homeframe.html |title=Biography Deborah Gravenstijn |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100402063333/http://www.deborahgravenstijn.nl/homeframe.html |archive-date=2 April 2010 |website=deborahgravenstijn.nl |access-date=12 August 2008}}</ref> Although she and her family lived in Rotterdam they always joined her to tournaments held anywhere within the Netherlands. As soon as Gravenstijn participated in international tournaments, her family was unable to keep up with attending every tournament, however they did whatever they could to support Deborah.<ref name="bio"/>

She earned her first medal at a Dutch Junior Championship (under 18/21) in 1987 when she came in third in Assen. One month later, she won her first title at the Dutch Cadet Championship (under 16/18) in Elburg.<ref name="results">{{cite web |url=http://www.deborahgravenstijn.nl/erelijst.html |title=Results Deborah Gravenstijn |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080616175505/http://www.deborahgravenstijn.nl/erelijst.html |archive-date=16 June 2008 |website=deborahgravenstijn.nl |access-date=13 August 2008}}</ref> In the following years she was unable to retain the title, but still managed to win a bronze (in Haarlem, 1988) and a silver medal (in Heerlen, 1989).<ref name="results"/> At international level she won her first tournament in Arlon in 1990, the Belgian Open. She won a bronze medal at the Dutch All Categories Championships in Nieuwegein in 1991 and she won the gold medal at the Under-19 championships in Geleen; She also retained her Belgian Open title in Arlon and won the silver medal at the Dutch Championships in Den Bosch.<ref name="results"/> In 1992, her last year as a junior she became Dutch national champion again and she won a silver medal at the All Categories Championships. At international level she became third at the World Masters in Munich, won the silver medal at the World Junior Championships in Buenos Aires and won the European title at the European Championships in Jerusalem.<ref name="results"/>

===Success in the nineties===

1993 was Gravenstijn's first year as a senior and in no-time she had adjusted to the national level by becoming third at the Dutch All Categories Championships and by winning the Rotterdam Open both in January.<ref name="results"/> At the Dutch National Championships in Den Bosch she won the silver medal in November and in December she won her first international tournament as a senior, the Swiss International in Basel.<ref name="results"/> She won another bronze at the All Categories championships and she retained her Rotterdam Open title. Besides that she did not book any other notable results in 1994.<ref name="results"/> In 1995 she prepared and qualified for the European Championships in Trnava where she won the bronze medal. She completed the year with a silver medal at the Dutch National Championships.<ref name="results"/> She won her first All Categories Championship in 1996 and managed to win two bronze medals, at the Dutch Open and the Dutch National Championships.<ref name="results"/>

She became Dutch national champion for the first time in her career in 1997. Then in 1998 she became second at the Grand Prix Citta di Roma and at the Dutch Open. At the European Championships in Oviedo she won the bronze medal and she ended the year with a silver medal at the Dutch National Championships.<ref name="results"/> She won the GP Citta di Roma in 1999 and won another bronze medal at the European Championships in Bratislava. With her team Kenamju she won the bronze medal in the European Club Cup final in Haarlem. In November 1999 she won her second Dutch national title.<ref name="results"/>

===Olympic success=== Thanks to two second places at the A Tournament in Sofia and the Grand Prix in Leonding as well as two bronze medals at the Warsaw Judo Tournament and the European Championships in Wrocław Gravenstijn qualified for the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. In her Olympic debut she reached the bronze medal contest, but did not manage to win the bout and ended up on the fifth position.<ref name="results"/> Later that year she won her third national title and she became second at the World University Championships in Málaga.<ref name="results"/>

The Olympic result encouraged her to perform well in 2001. She became second at the Grand Prix in Leonding and won the Grand Prix in Prague.<ref name="results"/> At the European Championships in Paris she reached the final, but had to be satisfied with silver. She then went on to win another silver at the World Championships in Munich and in between she won an international event in Venray.<ref name="results"/> At the World Military Championships in Ostia she had to be satisfied with a bronze medal, while she finished the year with a second position in the Fukuoka Tournament in Japan.<ref name="results"/> Gravenstijn suffered from an injury in 2002, but still managed to win the bronze medal at the European Championships in Maribor.<ref name="results"/> She became third at the Dutch Open in Rotterdam in 2003 and won the British Open in Burgess Hill and the international tournament in Venray. At the World Championships in Osaka she became third.<ref name="results"/>

2004 was all about the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. Gravenstijn qualified for the Olympics by becoming third at the A Tournament in Rome and first in Tallinn.<ref name="results"/> In the first three rounds she was too strong for Cinzia Cavazzuti, Ellen Wilson and Danielle Zangrando, which earned her a spot in the semi-final. Yvonne Bönisch won the semi-final and eventually went on to win the gold medal against Kye Sun-Hui in the final. Gravenstijn on her turn beat Barbara Harel in the final of the repechages to take the bronze medal.<ref name="results"/>

===Tragedies===

Two months after Gravenstijn won the bronze medal at the Olympics her younger sister Merghery died.<ref name="tragedies">{{cite web |url=http://www.nrc.nl/sport/olympische_spelen_2008/article1952626.ece/Zilver_voor_judoka_Gravenstijn |title=Tragedies for Deborah Gravenstijn |website=nrc.nl |access-date=13 August 2008}}</ref> Still she finished the year 2004 with a Dutch Championship title in Rotterdam. She was also awarded the Faas Wilkes Trophy.<ref name="results"/> In 2005, she started with a third place at the Super World Cup in Hamburg and she became second in the World Cup in Rotterdam. At the European Championships, also held in Rotterdam she became seventh.<ref name="results"/>

In May 2005 she fell during a match and suffered a double neck hernia. A return to the tatami was very unlikely, but she was determined to return and fought hard to make her comeback.<ref name="tragedies"/> One month before she eventually made her comeback in March 2007 her mother Carmen died, her second loss in her direct family since she won her Olympic medal.<ref name="tragedies"/>

===Comeback===

Her comeback to the international judo circuit was no success from the start. The death of her family members and her recent injuries still had a huge impact on her performances. Also due to these happenings her coach Jan de Rooij was no longer able to give her the aggression she needed to compete.<ref name="tragedies"/> National coach Marjolein van Unen took over from De Rooij in February 2008. Since then Gravestijn achieved a total of three top 5 rankings in World Cup meetings, inclusive the second place in Budapest and the first place in Warsaw.<ref name="tragedies"/> During the 2008 European Judo Championships in Lisbon she qualified for the 2008 Summer Olympics.<ref name="tragedies"/> She lost in the second round of the tournament after a mistake made by the referee, who changed the score of her match the exact other way, just 40 seconds before the end of the match.<ref name="mistake">{{cite web |url=http://www.judoinside.com/ned/?today/view/2458 |title=Lissabon |website=judoinside.com |access-date=13 August 2008}}</ref> Thanks to one of her main rivals in former years Isabel Fernández who eliminated Inga Kolodziej just four seconds before the end of the game Gravenstijn qualified for the Olympics.<ref name="tragedies"/> Due to Fernandez's win Gravenstijn remained on top op Kolodziej for the Olympic rankings.<ref name="tragedies"/> One month before the start of the Olympics she was hit by a medicine ball during a training session. The ball which weights 5 kilograms landed with a high speed at her head, giving her recently recovered neck another big smack.<ref name="medicine">{{cite web |url=http://www.telegraaf.nl/telesport/peking2008/judo/1668239/__Medicinebal_nekte_Gravenstijn_bijna__.html |title=Medicinebal nekte Gravenstijn bijna |website=telegraaf.nl |access-date=13 August 2008}}</ref> The injury almost forced her to miss the Olympics, but Gravenstijn recovered faster than expected.<ref name="medicine"/>

At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing Gravenstijn had a bye in the first round and defeated Ketleyn Quadros in the second round.<ref name="og08"/> In the quarter-finals she faced Fernandez and in a tactical game with just one koka Gravenstijn advanced to the semi-finals in which she won against local hero Xu Yan.<ref name="og08"/> In the final and gold medal match Giulia Quintavalle won with a yuko and left Gravenstijn with the silver medal.<ref name="og08"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.us.terra.com/olympics2008/interna/0,,OI3078124-EI12185,00.html |title=Gravenstijn bounces back from tragedy to win precious medal |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303201221/http://www.us.terra.com/olympics2008/interna/0,,OI3078124-EI12185,00.html |archive-date=3 March 2016 |website=us.terra.com |access-date=13 August 2008}}</ref> Afterwards Gravenstijn dedicated the medal to her deceased sister and mother as well as to her still living family members.<ref name="tragedies"/>

She has a daughter with Mark Earle.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.judoinside.com/judoka/20139/David_Rance/judo-career |title=Mark Earle |website=Judo Inside |access-date=30 May 2026}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * {{Sports links}}  * {{The-Sports}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20100402063333/http://www.deborahgravenstijn.nl/homeframe.html Official website] (archived) {{in lang|nl}}

{{s-start}} {{s-ach|aw}} {{succession box|title=Rotterdam Sportswoman of the Year|before=Elisabeth Willeboordse |after=Marhinde Verkerk|years=2008}} {{s-end}} {{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gravenstijn, Deborah}} Category:1974 births Category:Living people Category:Dutch female judoka Category:Royal Netherlands Air Force officers Category:Olympic judoka for the Netherlands Category:Olympic silver medalists for the Netherlands Category:Olympic bronze medalists for the Netherlands Category:Olympic medalists in judo Category:Judoka at the 2000 Summer Olympics Category:Judoka at the 2004 Summer Olympics Category:Judoka at the 2008 Summer Olympics Category:Medalists at the 2008 Summer Olympics Category:Medalists at the 2004 Summer Olympics Category:Dutch people of Surinamese descent Category:Sportspeople of Surinamese descent Category:Dutch physiotherapists Category:People from Tholen Category:Sportspeople from Zeeland Category:Martial artists from Rotterdam Category:20th-century Dutch sportswomen Category:21st-century Dutch sportswomen